Baseball's Second Half: Playoff Push, Trade Talk, Healing Stars

After a phenomenal start to the season, the Chicago Cubs hope to sustain their success and take it deep into the playoffs than last year, No available, photo: AP/Gergory Bull

David Ortiz is set to get booed at Yankee Stadium, Chris Sale is ready to resume striking out Kris Bryant and the Kansas City Royals are facing a rugged road back to the playoffs.

Now that the All-Star fun is finished, a look at what’s on deck as Major League Baseball makes the turn and heads home toward October:

PENNANT PUSH

All eyes will be on Joe Maddon and his Cubs as they chase their first World Series crown since 1908. They’re in prime position so far — Jake Arrieta, Bryant and Co. hold the biggest lead at the break, up seven games over St. Louis in the NL Central.

The Cubs have never won a title while at Wrigley Field. All those past failures? “That’s something we don’t really discuss very often,” Arrieta said.

Only one division race closer than five games: The AL East, with Baltimore up two on Boston and Toronto. Ortiz got a lot of love this week, but what Big Papi really wants is one more swing in the postseason. The Red Sox begin the second half Friday night in the steamy Bronx.

Quite a scramble is shaping up for wild-card spots — 18 teams are within five games of the slots. World Series MVP Salvador Pérez, All-Star Game MVP Eric Hosmer and the defending champ Royals are hovering at 45-43.

Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz hits an opposite field two-run home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston. Photo: AP/Winslow Townson

DEAL OR NO DEAL

Will Aroldis Chapman soon be closing somewhere else? Can Jonathan Lucroy catch on with a contender? How about Carlos Gonzalez? Could Drew Pomeranz or Jake Odorizzi be starting a new chapter?

Plenty to track before the Aug. 1 deadline to make trades without waivers. Last year, a lot of big names moved in the final week — Yoenis Céspedes, Johnny Cueto and Troy Tulowitzki, among them.

This year, several elite teams need bullpen help. The Yankees have two of the top targets in Chapman and Andrew Miller. A few more wins might quiet all the trade noise, Miller said.

“We can shut down those rumors, and I think that’s the goal. That’s what need to do. That’s what we should do,” the lefty said.

HEAL OR NO HEAL

Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Craig Kimbrel come out of the break on the disabled list, as do Felix Hernández, Michael Brantley and several Texas pitchers.

How fast the likes of Jordan Zimmermann, Wade Davis, Matt Carpenter and others can effectively come back might determine how far their teams go.

The defending NL champion Mets had already lost captain David Wright and former ace Matt Harvey for the season and power-hitting Lucas Duda for a long time when slugger Yoenis Céspedes and hard-throwing Noah Syndergaard recently got hurt in the same game.